Sweeter than Revenge
by Melancholiclullaby
Summary: There is no Soul Society, no Hollow, no Winter War. Kurosaki Ichigo is your average college freshmen with big hopes and a blossoming love life, but his life takes a turn for the worst when he unwittingly scuffles with a powerful, teal-haired gang leader.
1. New Life

Hey guys! I'm brand new, and this is my very first fanfic. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to update it regularly! Please leave reviews and let me know what you think (plot-wise, writing style, what you hope to see)! 3 Much love. Sorry if this chapter is short.

**Couples**: Ichihime...possibly others

**Setting**: AU

**Genre:** Romance, angst, drama, action etc etc IT GETS DARK LATER OOUU~

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The morning was bright, if a bit chilly on this autumn day. The trees swayed ever so slightly under the pressure of the wind, whispering sweet nothings about the promise of a new semester. The campus before him was brimming with excited, chattering students who were completely unaware of anything other than themselves. All were discussing what campus life would be like in the coming semesters; some of the more saucy girls spoke of long awaited fantasies they hoped independent life would bring, while the more practical students discussed the various teachers and subjects that would engross them for the next four years. The first day of college brought a vitality, a hopefuless to the univeristy that was almost tangible. Kurosaki Ichigo looked on in bemusement and curiousity. A shock of bright orange hair adorned the top of his head in spikes, somehow managing to appear both styled and tousled at the same time. Large, calloused hands hid themselves in the pockets of his jeans, and he stood with a certain power and confidence that was hard not to notice. Though his features had a certain rough handsomeness to them, his usual scowl or indifferent expression made him look like a punk; the type of guy who would easily get into fights or cause mischief. And for the most part, this was true of his high school years. His muscular and somewhat scarred body could attest to this. Inwardly he was as soft as a marshmallow...but he wouldn't let anyone see _that_, hell no. Not if he could help it.

....With the exception of his girlfriend, of course.

"ICHIIGGGGOO~!" A familiar, high-pitched voice cried out from behind him. Ichigo's right eye twitched and he scowled at the realization of what was to come. Keigo suddenly jumped into the air, hands raised high as he speeded towards his target in mid-air. Closer, closer...almost there! Keigo could almost taste victory. "Ichiiiggoo! You never answer your cellphone! That's it, I know it, you---" He was mere inches away, fake tears welling up at the corner of his eyes, before the back of Ichigo's fist met Keigo's nose. He was silenced for the moment as he slid to the campus floor, the scowling face of Ichigo looming over Keigo's surprisingly motionless form. "What the hell?! First day of college and you're still acting like this?!" Ichigo yelled, stomping on Keigo as the latter dramatically coo'd, "Ichiiggoo, you're so meeaan!".

"Somethings never change, Kurosaki."

Ichigo blinked in surpise and looked up to see three familliar faces standing nearby. The one who spoke lifted up a hand to correct his glasses, placing them exactly where he liked them on the ridge of his nose before letting his arms rest at his sides. The young man in question, Ishida Uryuu, had a pale complexion and dark bluish-black hair that parted in the middle of his forehead and down the sides. He was as skinny as Ichigo's pinky, but more than made up for it in smarts and wit...which usually irritated the hell out of Ichigo, but he wasn't a bad guy. To the right of Uryuu stood his complete physical opposite; a tower of a man with a quiet, but powerful aura about him. His body was chiseled and deeply tanned, sporting dark brown curly hair and soft eyes. His voice was deep but unassuming. "We should start heading to class." Ichigo nodded, smirked, and began to follow the others towards the large building ahead of them. The third boy, short and engrossed in texting someone on his cellphone, motioned for Keigo to follow. "Chad's right. Let's go, Asano-san." The latter looked up pitifully and followed far behind, whining about something or the other that no one quite understood or listened to for that matter.

Ichigo was excited. It was going to be a good year, he could just feel it.

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"Kurosaki-kuuun~!" A cheerful voice permeated the air in stark white corridors, her voice so sweet that it overcame all others in the crowded university hallway. The dainty young woman who shuffled across the corridor towards the group nearly tripped over herself along the way, but managed to get to them in one piece. "Oof! These halls are so slippery!" She pouted, brushing off inexistant dust from her bright, cheerful clothing. Ichigo raised a brow at her antics, and smiled. Ichigo's smile was so rare that his friends were still trying to get used to it, even though he only ever smiled at the girl before them. His strong arms reached around and draped themselves over the girl's shoulders, pulling her to him. "I'm not 'Kurosaki', Orihime. I'm 'Ichigo' now." He leaned over to give her a soft kiss on the lips, to which she responded with an ever so soft sigh. "I-Ichigo..". She repeated, blushing lightly underneath his attention in such a public place. She just couldn't get used to it...her Kurosaki-kun (correction: Ichigo.) kissing her. It was new and still brought those butterflies into her tummy, even if it had already been a month. They were both shy about it at first, but they slowly had become more open about it.

It made her so happy.

Ichigo's eyes softened at the sight of his blush-stained Hime. She was beautiful. Long, auburn hair cascaded over creamy soft skin, while her bright smile was everpresent. Inoue Orihime was joy incarnate....and he loved her for it. Ichigo's large hand patted her head before shooing her playfully away. "Time for class, Orihime. Don't want to be late." He grinned. After some playfully reluctant responses, Orihime waved goodbye to the boys and ran off, her best friend Tatsuki in tow. Ichigo shook his head as he watched his Hime go, and raised a hand to his head in mock agitation. "What am I going to do with her?" He sighed, still smiling. He nodded towards his friends and all of them silently poured into the first class of the day. The first class of a whole semester; the first semester of a year. The first year of a new life, and Kurosaki Ichigo was excited.

---------------Meanwhile...------------------------

"Pfft. Why do _I _have to go after this sonuvabitch?" Growled the man in white. His elbow rested on a table, supporting his head on the palm of his hand. The light that filtered in through the half-covered window was barely enough to see by, but it could just barely illuminate the features of the man who just spoke. His expression was indifferent..lazy almost. But his eyes were sharp. They stared at someone from across the room, a piercing shade of blue that made his chiseled features stand out even more handsomely. There was a tapping sound as his impatience found its way down to his fingers atop the table, which was littered with papers and coins and other various trinkets. Some of which could be considered quite dangerous.

"You have nothing better to do. The others have more pressing matters to attend to." Was the simple response. In the darkness of that room, the one who bore the responding voice could not be seen. Just a dark silhouette of a man with a deadpan voice. There was a silence as the blue-eyed one thought for a moment, going over his orders in his head. Finally, he grinned. It was sinister...maniacal, practically reaching across both ears. The man in white leaned forward, his features suddenly animated and lively. The light revealed a shock of teal hair and shining eyes. The green markings around his eyes made him look even crazier than his grin already did.

"Alright, fine. Could be fun." He purred.

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**Author:** Who could these mysterious men be, and what could they possibly want? Tune in next time! hehehee~ Please leave feedback if you liked it (or not even!), thanks! 3


	2. Old Pains

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! :D Here's chapter 2! Got lots of ideas going, so I hope you enjoy these beginning chapters. It's my first fanfic, so please be sure to review to let me know what you think! I also decided to make my first fic less dark than I initially planned, so I changed it into a T rating (might change to M if necessary) and replaced the Angst genre into Drama.

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There was a flurry of textbooks, papers and pencils as the final bell rang, signaling the end of the the first day of college. Ichigo yawned and stretched himself out, rolling his shoulders until a satisfying _crack _was heard. As his friends prompty stood up to leave, he tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently, looking up at the doorway every two seconds it seemed. Chad, curious as to why Ichigo made no move to get up, turned to look at him. The rest of his friends were grouped together in front of the classroom door.

"Ichigo, aren't you coming?"

Ichigo looked up, blinked as though he wasn't quite sure what Chad said, and proceeded to wave him off dismissively.

"Nah, I'm waiting for Orihime. I'm taking her to the arcade." He said matter-of-factly. Chad shrugged, said his goodbyes, and left Ichigo alone with his thoughts alongside the rest of his friends. It wasn't long before Orihime peeked around the corner of the door at Ichigo, waiting until he spotted her bright gray eyes before tumbling and heading toward him.

"Ichigo, how was class? Was it fun? Did you get asked lots of questions? Did anything fun happen??" Orihime chirped as she made her way to his desk, just as he was rising. "I love college! The teachers are so nice, I've already made friends...oh! But I got into a fight with a vending machine!" She huffed. "See, I just put the money in and..." She droned on for a bit..something about breaking out a samurai sword in a pseudo-fight with said vending machine, but Ichigo simply shook his head and kissed her to quiet her flight of fancy. Her cheeks grew rosey, and she sighed in contentment.

"I had a good day, and I'm glad you did too. Tell me about yours first." He ran his hand through her hair, watching as she smiled in that lovely way of hers before he took her by the hand and guided her off campus. Orihime giggled at his assertiveness and simply followed along, closing her eyes and letting the sun warm her chilled skin.

Before they had made much headway, Orihime was talking about how lunch had gone. "So I showed her my lunch, and she made this face like.." Mimicking the girl, her delicate features contorted into a look of disgust, made comical by the intensity in Orihime's eyes. "So it made me kind of sad. But it was okay because Tatsuki said---"

Orihime stopped dead in her tracks. Ichigo kept walking for a moment before realizing the absence of the space-case, turning around to look at her and arching a brow in curiosity.

"Orihime?"

"TATSUKI!" She blurted it out. "I totally forgot! I promised to meet her after her martial arts lesson!' She cried. She bit her lower lip and looked imploringly at Ichigo, totally at a loss for what to do. Ichigo rubbed his temple and closed his eyes as if wishing away a bad headache, sighing deeply before responding.

"You nut." A gentle response, given Ichigo's nature. He looked at her through annoyed eyes, although he could never really be mad at her. She was just _too_ cute to be mad at, standing there and looking lost, he thought briefly. "You have terrible memory."

"That isn't very nice, Ichi." She pouted.

"Why don't you just go meet up with her for a bit? The place she practices isn't far from the Arcade." Ichigo concluded. "Then just walk over and we'll meet up there." An agreeable _Ooohh _sounded from Orihime, as if she thought Ichigo had just voiced the best idea in the entire world. She clapped her hands together excitedly, exclaiming "Then it's settled!" before standing on her tip-toes and pecking Ichigo on the cheek. Before he could react she had begun to run off, waving at him as she ran. "I'll see you soon then!" She called out sweetly. Ichigo simply smiled, watching her disappear into the crowded streets. It didn't take more than two minutes before Ichigo's usual frown found it's place on his face. Looking straight ahead of him and trying to avoid bumping into a bicyclist or two, Ichigo walked briskly toward the land of video game delights.

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Ichigo could see the tell-tale building just ahead. Bright and cheerful, the windows boasted flashy signs and colorul advertisements, beckoning the passerbyer to enter into the mysterious realm of gaming and all that is fantastical. The arcade was just ahead, but as he walked, the smell of baked pastries wafted into his nose. Ichigo took a big whiff, and tried to find the source of the delicious smell. Taking a few steps back he found himself staring into the window display of a brand new bakery, all sorts of different pastries and desserts all lined up neatly in rows. There was strawberry shortcake, chocolate eclairs, lemon tarts...all sorts of little goodies that would make even the most bitter man grow a sweet tooth. Ichigo was debating whether or not to buy something (he was sure Orihime would love some) when his eye caught movement in the window.

He saw them, their figures reflected on the bakery window display, before he could actually hear them. His ears registered a loud cry, followed by steady pounding sounds and muffled yelling. His head whipped around to see the figures more clearly. And there they were, a group of about three or four, standing in a circle just across the street. The first thing he noticed was that one of them, whom he assumed to be the leader of this little get-together, sported bright teal-colored hair and a crazy grin. He kept moving in and out from inside the circle, but Ichigo couldn't tell what he was doing. He couldn't make out much about his companions...they all stood with their back to Ichigo, as if they there making a stand against the world. And the world kept its distance from them. Passerbyers either turned the other direction or made a large arc around them, turning the other cheek at the group of punks before them and pretending as though they had seen nothing.

Ichigo looked a little closer, and from inbetween the figures, he could see someone lying on the floor within their circle. It took a moment for his brain to register what was happening:

He was being beaten.

Panic gripped Ichigo. He stood, wide-eyed and frozen, as he tried to comprehend what was happening in front of him. His hands clenched into fists and adrenline pumped through his veins. He could hear them now, taunting and spewing visciousness at whoever the unlucky man on the floor was. _Who the fuck do they think they are?_ His inner voice rang. _Nobody deserves this._

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and walked deliberately toward them, crossing the street without so much as a glance around him. His hands felt heavy, like they were filled with lead; but he knew what he had to do. _So much for starting with a clean slate_, he thought bitterly as his shadow loomed over the aggressors. They turned around to see who dared rain in on their parade, boring holes into him as they stared intensely.

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Grimmjow had been too absorbed in his task to notice the shadow looking over them. His feet connected with his victim's face and ribcage, causing a symphony of groans and cracks to pierce the atmosphere with their shrill voices. Each kick, each punch painted the man's body black and blue, and Grimmjow was relentless.

"How do you like that, bitch?!" He licked his lips, kicking the man square in the jaw. Satisfied, he looked up briefly, noticing that his men had turned their attention elsewhere. Standing up straight, Grimmjow turned to look to see what was _so damn important_. As he did so, his fierce blue eyes locked onto burning brown eyes.

Grimmjow gave Ichigo the once-over. He looked unimpressed and looked like he was ready to turn back around and ignore Ichigo completely.

"What the fuck do _you_ want?" Grimmjow sneered. Besides the teal hair, the man before him had another unique trait: green makeup ( perhaps tattoos? ) lined the outermost corner of his eyes, intensifying this man's gaze even further. He was dressed from head to toe in a white suit; the black dress shirt underneath was unbottoned about half way up, exposing a strong-looking chest with a deep scar. His tie was drapped around his neck haphazardly, completely undone.

"Leave him be." Ichigo's voice was threatening.

The men next to Grimmjow, who looked just about as ripped and menacing as he did, looked like they were ready to beat the ever loving shit out of Ichigo. They all stepped forward at once, but a sudden burst of laughter stopped everyone in their track. The mirthless laughter had come from Grimmjow, who stuffed his fists into his pockets and stook a step towards Ichigo. A menacing grin played on Grimmjow's lips, taking Ichigo aback somewhat.

"Is that a threat, carrot top?" He grinned even larger; Ichigo wasn't sure that was possible. "If you don't get out of here in three seconds, I'm going to beat the shit of you."

Ichigo fully expected to be jumped at this point, but no one made a move forward. On the contrary, Grimmjow took a few steps back. Standing mere inches away from the victim's face, Grimmjow bent over so that he was squatting just above the floor. He grabbed the boy by the hair, forcing him to raise his head and face Ichigo. The boy didn't look older than 16. His face had the beginnings on bruses on them, his lips and left eye had also begun to swell. Trails of blood led from his nose down to his chin, and the boy looked like he was barely conscious. Ichigo could almost feel his pain.

"See," Grimmjow suddenly started, jolting Ichigo back to reality. "This here boy's father owes us quite a bit of money." Grimmjow started rocking the boy's head back and forth softly as he spoke, as if he felt restless while speaking. "He'd been warned, but tsk. The old man just didn't listen." He put down the young boy's head, letting him rest once more on the pavement. Grimmjow patted the back of the boy's head in mock encouragement. "This is just his second warning."

Grimmjow suddenly jumped up, crying, "Tell this to your old fucking man!" And with that, Grimmjow raised his foot high, readying it to crush the boy's skull. Without mercy, he brought it down.

Just before the kick connected, Ichigo's own leg had whipped across Grimmjow's, throwing Grimmjow off and missing his target completely. Ichigo's elbow connected with the left side of Grimmjow's face, a surprised _Fuck!_ leaving his lips. Grimmjow almost tumbled to the floor, but caught himself, his hands brought up to his face to survery the damage. His men moved to intervene, but were stopped by their leader's voice.

"DON'T FUCKING MOVE, THIS BASTARD IS _MINE_." Grimmjow bellowed.

With surprising agility, Grimmjow wheeled around and roundhoused Ichigo in the torso. Reeling from the hit, Ichigo took a few step backs, trying to steady himself when Grimmjow pulled his fist back and surged forward. His knuckles collided with Ichigo's chest, causing spittle to launch from Ichigo's mouth. But just as Grimmjow's fist readied itself for another attack, Ichigo kneed him in the stomache, and the two continued to tussle for several agonizing minutes. Every punch, kick and attack was met with one equally as powerful, and neither were able to gain the upper hand in this fist fight. Ichigo's knuckles bled and Grimmjow sported a split lip, and neither showed signs of letting up. Ichigo was just about to land a punch on Grimmjow's jaw when a sound made him hesitate.

_"K-Kurosaki-kun?!"_ A feminine voice cried from across the street. Grimmjow was distracted by the voice, his eyes moving over to watch as the young woman ran toward Ichigo, her face contorted with panic and concern. Hitting him square in the jaw, Grimmjow fell over backward from the impact, hitting cold hard asphalt and crying out in pain. Ichigo seized the opportunity to wheel around and face Orihime, screaming at her to stay back. Orihime, who stood only a few yards away, stopped dead in her tracks. She was completely unsure of what to do. Ichigo had just demanded her to stay put ---probably out of concern for her--- but she wanted so desperately to help. She clenched her skirt, rubbing the fabric between her thumbs in a desperate attempt to keep her restless spirit calm. "I..Ichigo..." She said softly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Grimmjow got to his legs shakily, his eyes fierce and his mind enraged. Curses fell out of his mouth like a waterfall, and he made a move to lunge forward. Ichigo lifted his arms up in defense, waiting for the attack. But to Ichigo's surprise, it never came.

A hand gripped Grimmjow's shoulder, keeping him from moving. Seething with rage, Grimmjow turned to see who _dared_ stop him now.

The man holding him back looked extraordinarily calm. His lips form a tight, straight line and his deep green eyes held no emotion. His entire demeanor was emotionless and stoic, his grip on Grimmjow tightening as the latter twitched underneath his touch. The man's jet black hair and dark suit swayed in the wind, and his words came out completely deadpan.

"Your task is complete, Grimmjow. Don't get involved with trash."

"The fuck are you doing here, Ulquiorra?"

"Your tirade is not going unnoticed."

After a few moments Grimmjow straightened up and pushed the man's hand off his shoulder. Pushing his fists into his pockets, Grimmjow turned to look at Ichigo. His glare was menacing and full of hatred...but there was almost a hint of satisifaction in there, too.

"Don't think this is over, asswipe." He spat. "I'm going to kick your ass the next time I see you. And I, Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, am going to make sure that's soon." His eyes travelled over to where Orihime stood, looking her over for a moment. His expression was unreadable; it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Then without warning, he turned on his heel and left. He and the rest of the group disappeared into a waiting car, and vanished from sight.

Ichigo collapsed to the floor. His breathing was rough and haggard, and it wasn't long before Orihime rushed to his side. She leaned over and hugged him, tears falling from her cheeks unto his back in steady rhythm.

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Whoo! That took a while of typing. Hope you enjoyed, and expect chapter three up in a few days. c: Please review and let me know what you think. Critiques are welcome, aswell as suggestions, initial thoughts etc etc!


	3. Promises, Decisions

The air was filled with a familiar antiseptic smell, potent and clean as it wafted into his nose. There was a soft squeak as wheels rolled by in a hurry, holding the weight of a cart that carried instruments and cleaning materials glinting under fluorescent lights. The family clinic had been pretty busy today...Karin and Yuzu could be seen running about in a hurry, tending to the various patients that had come in for relatively minor injuries. The bright, white room had been decorated with medical posters and silly health-conscious cartoons...typical of a clinic. Ichigo sat down in front of the wall, looking up as his father. Kurosaki Isshin had just wrapped up, having finished tending to his son's wounds.

"Alrighty then, I think I'm just about done. Got yourself beat up by a bunch of punks, eh?" He looked down on his son, an everpresent grin framing his face. "That's just like you, Ichigo, getting into fights! Must be some sort of test of prowess," Isshin flexed his arms for emphasis. "Plowing through your enemies, grappling with death himself! The epitome of manliness and testosterone!" His arm shot up dramatically, seemingly not caring what sort of danger this put his son in. Ichigo looked up, scowling at his father, a smartass comment about to escape him when there was a sudden softening of his father's features.

"Don't know why would you want to get yourself hurt now, though." Isshin pouted. Ichigo briefly thought about how disturbing it was for a 40-something year old man to _pout_.

"What with you being with Orihime-chan and all, you'd think you'd be more careful! Such a lovely, beautiful girl!" Flailing, he coo'd, "And you have to go and worry her like that! What a shameful son I have!" Isshin pretended to weep into his arm. "Shameful, shameful!" sounded out before a smack to the face sent the eager man flying away. Ichigo loomed over his father, irritated, scowling deeply down at his father. He could be such a _pest._

"I was trying to _help_ someone! You should be congratulating me, you old fart." His right eye twitched in annoyance. Slowly he sat back down, averting his gaze. Isshin caught a quick glance at his expression -- it was remorseful. Isshin knew what he was thinking about.

The soft chime of bells could be heard as the entrance door slowly swayed open. Orange-brown locks peeked around the corner of the door as Inoue Orihime slid inside, her concerned silver eyes staring at Ichigo from across the room. She said nothing, bringing up a hand to brush away a rogue strand of hair from her face as the other held a filled plastic bag.

Jolting upright, Isshin got to his feet. "Yuzu! Karin!" He called out. His two young daughters faithfully appeared by the doorway, balancing clipboards and other materials on their arms. "It's time to tend to the other patients," He declared. Karin and Yuzu nodded and the three made their way out of the room, leaving Ichigo and Orihime to their own devices.

Orihime quietly strode toward him, taking a seat next to him as he stared at the floor awkwardly. Orihime stole a glance at his eyes -- deep and troubled. She knew he felt guilty about getting into a fight --- But more than that, she knew that he probably felt guilty about very nearly getting her involved. _That's just like him,_ she thought. _Caring for everyone but himself._

"Ichi...How are you feeling?" Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. Ichigo felt warm fingers brush across the side of his face, her thumb rubbing his cheek with a tenderness only she possessed. It made him only feel guiltier, his eyes briefly going over his own hands. So rough and calloused...

"Fine." A blunt response. There was awkward silence as he closed his eyes and let himself lean backwards, his head touching the wall behind him. He knew that probably right now she was staring at him doubtfully, and he couldn't bring himself to look at her just yet. Feeling uncomfortable with the silence, he continued.

"....My dad said it wasn't serious. Just some bruising, a couple of cuts...my knuckles got a bit beat up, but it's nothing." He nodded more to himself than anything, running his fingers over the bandage that covered his right hand. He heard the rustling of plastic as Orihime brought the bag to her lap, fishing out styrofoam containers quietly. Ichigo smelled something delicious, and the smell suddenly made him hungry. Ichigo couldn't help but look at what she had out of curiosity.

"I've brought you something to eat, Ichi." She smiled faintly as she lifted up a container full of food and held it in front of him. It smelled wonderfully normal, so he took it into his own hands without complaint. He mumbled his thanks and the two quietly opened their packages and ate, not having eaten anything since lunch at school.

"This is really good, Orihime. Where'd you get it?" He asked humbly.

She didn't respond for a moment, fidgeting with her fork for a while. Silently she closed her package and put it down on the floor, turning to face him.

"...Ichigo...Please, promise me that you won't fight again." Her brows furrowed and her expression was painful, filled with sorrow and worry and fear. Ichigo was stunned into silence, and he simply stared at her. She turned her head and stared at her toes, fiddling with her fingers.

"I..I don't know what I'd do if anything worse happened to you, Ichi..." She said quietly. "He..He could of had a weapon! He could of had a knife, or a gun..." Her eyes glistened as she fought back tears, willing herself to stay composed. "He..He could of..."

A hand cupped her chin and turned her head, interrupting her as soft lips descended upon her own. The familiar, soothing taste of him...so confident and loving, it made her shoulders droop and her eyes flutter shut as strong arms embraced her. She wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her, her worries melting away as his lips brought her comfort. Slowly they moved up from her lips, to the tip of her nose, and finally to her forehead before they released her. His hand cupped the back of her head as he held her close, tucking her head underneath his chin.

Orihime was so close...she could smell him. A musky, earthy smell..masculine at its basest. It was intoxicating...She loved every bit of it.

Ichigo dug his face into her hair, auburn tresses tickling his nose. She had a light, floral scent..it was soft and dreamy, and he revelled in it. It reminded him of fields of flowers...and he loved every bit of it. The two sat underneath the artificial lights in a loving embrace, a ray of hope and love against the stark white and depressing background of the Kurosaki Clinic. The two stayed this way for a long time, unmoving, enjoying each other's company in silence.

"...I promise, Orihime."

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"Jinta-kun, that hurts, that hurts!" A soft voice squealed, several blocks away from the Kurosaki clinic.

A young, black-haired girl pleaded with her companion to _please_ stop pulling her pigtails. Her cries did nothing to pacify red-headed boy, bringing herself only more trouble as he pulled even harder on her hair.

"Stop whining, Ururu! This is what you get for telling on me!" He pulled together his fists and twisted them on her head, squishing the timid girl between them. Soon a much taller and older man was forced to intervene, grabbing Jinta by the waist and holding him up in the air.

"Jinta-dono, it is not wise to pick on little girls."

"Tessai! Let go of me!" The young boy tried to wiggle free from the man's grasp, to no avail. Ururu sat on the floor, holding her head between her hands as began to feel slightly dizzy. Footsteps could be heard as another man walked in, chuckling to himself as he watched the three interact.

"Not wise indeed, Jinta-kun!" The voice was sweet and cheerful...almost to the point of being a bit sketchy. The man who spoke wore a white and green striped hat, green garments and wooden sandals which clacked against the floor and made his presence known. In one hand he held a fan, which he used to wave the three off dismissively. He threw them a silly smile.

"Tsk, tsk! With the three of you always bickering, who will keep this shop afloat, hmm?" He asked, a glint of mischief in his eye.

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"Grimmjow."

Grimmjow Jeagerjacques sat silently at the other end of a long table, his uninterested gaze lazily lifting up to meet those of the person who had addressed him. One hand held his cheek in his palm, the elbow prodding his head up. The other hand was balancing the tip of a knife on the edge of his index finger, keeping it perfectly balanced in spite of the subtle movements of his hand. His right foot rested on the other knee, and he appeared the epitome of boredom.

"I heard you got involved with a civilian." The voice insisted.

The owner of the voice was standing, her arms crossed in front of her as she leaned on a wall opposite of Grimmjow. Light green eyes stared at him intently, studying his features. Her voice was deep and sounded wise, and it seemed to complement this woman well. Vibrant blonde hair stood out against her tanned skin, looking almost unnatural if her eyebrows and eyelashes had not been the same color. Her features were difficult to see, hidden underneath the fabric of an overly large, upraised jacket collar. All that stood out were the bridge of her nose and her powerful eyes.

Grimmjow snorted. "Some brat got on my nerves and got an ass whooping."

"That's not how the report went." She replied coldly.

With a twirl of his fingers the knife spun in the air, and in one swift movement Grimmjow's fingers grabbed the hilt and slammed the knife into the table, easily penetrating wood.

"The son of a bitch!" He breathed, gritting his teeth. "No one makes a fool out of me." Soon his rage subsided and he leaned back, closing his eyes. Soon, Grimmjow began to feel something else....Something more akin to satisfaction. His lips curled into a smirk, grinning at no one in particular. "But perhaps, Halibel....." He purred, finally addressing the woman who spoke to him. "....I could have some fun with this....Kurosaki Ichigo." He remembered the name that had spilled out of that girl's lips. It had been a long time since he fought with someone with as much raw power as he, if a bit less. The more he thought of it, the more excited he got. The stupid woman had given him all the information he needed...Yes. This was going to be fun. He'd make 'im suffer.

Halibel looked away, silent, knowing what must be going through his head. She neither approved or disapproved. In reality, she could care less, as it was none of their business. She only hoped that it did not interfere with the gang's mission; otherwise, she would be forced to intervene. But in the mean while, she would leave Grimmjow to his own devices..whatever that entailed.

After the rest of the gang members filed into the room and took their respective seats, the seat at the far end of the table remained vacant for a few minutes. There was a restlessness in the air as each leader waited, until foot steps could be heard from the other side of the entrance. A lone figure casually strolled into the room, seating himself quietly at the head of the table. A faint smile painted his features, assessing the group before him. He analyzed them, examined them, hundreds of thought whirling around his head that none would ever know of. But on the outside, he appeared as calm as the most placid of waters.

"Good evening, everyone." His voice was paternal and deep; the voice of a guardian. "I apologize for my tardiness, there were some issues that needed my urgent attention." His smile widened ever so slightly.

"Now then, there are a few matters that need discussing. But first, let's have some tea, shall we?"

As if on cue, a group of servants quietly entered the room, giving each seated member a cup of tea before filing out of the room. The man at the head of the table took up his cup and sipped on it before focusing his attention on the men and women before him.

The meeting lasted over an hour, and Grimmjow was growing impatient. He barely paid attention as future plans unfolded and tasks were divvied out. It was the same old, same old...So-and-so owed them money, Whatshisface needed a "reality check", John Doe was a threat that needed to be eliminated....after years of this, it nearly bored him to tears. He never cared for details..if he was told to deliver punishment, that was what he would do, without second thought. But his targets were always so weak and easily crushed....these thoughts only caused him to grow even more impatient as thoughts about meeting his match in Ichigo whirled around in his head.

As soon as they were dismissed, Grimmjow quickly made his way into the corridor. The building was void of color and spirit; the walls were smooth and white, not a single object decorating the halls. His footsteps echoed in the corridor as he walked past lower ranking members who cowered at the mere sight of him, until finally he reached one of the training rooms. Grimmjow burst in, slamming the door as he entered and startling the two who practiced inside.

"Oi! I have a job for you two... newcomers." He called out loudly, grinning.

Two pairs of eyes stared at him. They were both in fighting stances, having been in the middle of a practice fight when Grimmjow had burst in. On the left was a rather short young woman with shoulder-length raven hair and strange looking violet eyes. Her body seemed small and frail in comparison to Grimmjow's, but she gave off an intimidating and serious aura and was strong in her own right. On the right was a much taller man, long bright red hair flowing down to the small of his back. Tattoos framed his eyebrows and lined his neck and upper torso, revealed because he stood shirtless as it were. The two quickly nodded as Grimmjow waved for them to follow, walking away the direction he had come.

The man looked down at his female companion, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. They both stared at each other for a moment.

"Let's go, Rukia."

"Aye, Renji."

**************************************************************************************************************

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**Footer:** Aaahh! And there you have it, Chapter 3! Full of fluff, clinics and gangs. I know these chapters aren't long at all, but that's the result of making sure I get the story updated every 2 to 3 days. c: So please bear with the shortness and lack of content, this was more of a sort of Gang-Intro chapter as oppose to the Good-Guy intro. So please leave a review and let me know what you all think! :D


	4. Found You

**Author's Note: **AAHH I'm so sorry guys! I haven't updated this since October -- but I had a legit reason! My computer broke down shortly after chapter three, and I've been living off my Ipod Touch since. I only recently have attained desktop computer status, and have spent all my time drawing digital art. But thanks to three lovely reviews left by **Emuri**, I suddenly felt totally inspired to write my next chapter! Let's hope for the best that this inspiration stays, ne? *crosses fingers* I have so many ideas going on, but if you're expecting a super deep, super-well-thought out plot, you probably won't find it here, haha. I'm kind of making it up as I go. Anways, enjoy~! New characters gogogo!

Disclaimer: Characters are the creative property of Tite Kubo. c:

* * *

There was a soft creak as a door slid wide open, exposing a small but cozy office space to the one who had just entered. The office was utterly neat; the dark cherrywood desk in it's center stood out against the stark white walls, piled papers neatly aligned on the left of said desk held in place by a coffee cup. Various office supplies were lined up in a row next to an age-old computer, and the leather swivel chair in front of the structure stood motionless, waiting to be used once more. A young man stepped inside and swiftly threw his coat onto the back of the chair, easing himself into it as he rifled through the paperwork that awaited him. His lips formed a slight frown and his brows furrowed at the sheer amount of work that was bestowed upon him, and he ran his small hand through his own short, cleverly styled bright white hair.

The young man looked barely 13, but those who worked under him in his city's Police Department knew much better than that. Although he was technically young (in his twenties, but he never said where), he was a senior officer in the department, and something of a prodigy. When he was younger he had passed the Civil Service Examination with flying colors and was recruited early on, earning some of the highest grades in law school while maintaining a physical fitness level akin to an Olympian despite his small stature. When he began to work as an officer full-time, through sheer will and exceptional skill, he quickly rose in rank and succeeded in not only becoming a lieutenent, but a captain.

The young white-haired man quietly shuffled through the papers, mentally noting his "To-Do list" for the rest of the day. Bringing the cup of coffee to his lips, his eyes scanned a note left on his desk. _Hmm, here it says something about an appointment.._

"HITSUGAYA-TAIIICHOOO~" A melodious, if a bit sultry, voice sounded from beyond the door. A vein visibly throbbed in the young man's head when the sound reached his ears, his grip on the coffee mug's handle turning his knuckles white.

There was a loud slam as his door burst open, and there was a flash of movement as the intruder made her way to the very front of his desk. The older woman planted her hands on the cherrywood desk, her strawberry-blonde locks of wavy hair framing her classically beautiful face. She wore a full-body dark blue officer uniform, which would of normally been completely acceptable..except that nearly half of it's top buttons were undone, very nearly completely exposing large mounds of peach colored skin. Her bosom threatened to pop out of its restraints as she leaned forward, a giddy smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Hitsugaya-Taicho!" She coo'd, eyeing her captain as his eye twitched. She didn't flinch when he suddenly rose and planted his own hands on the desk, facing her and looking as though he were ready to bare his fangs.

"MATSUMOTO! You know better than to barge right in here like you own the place! It's too early for your nonsense," He hissed, but Matsumoto Rangiku looked entirely unimpressed. She simply lifted a hand to her hips and waved him off dismissively.

"Pfftt, as your absolutely lovely and charming Lieutenent, I have taken it upon myself to introduce you to our new secretary!" She clapped her hands together excitedly and before Hitsugaya could get a word in edgewise, she ushered in a much smaller, more timid looking young woman.

The younger woman looked a little shy, but when the Captain and her exchanged glances, surprise flitted across their faces. Rangiku looked on in dry amusement as the two looked shocked for a moment, and then composed themselves.

"Ah, Toshiro-kun! It's so nice to see you again."

Rangiku snorted at the nickname, but Hitsugaya Toshiro was too surprised at her sudden appearance to admonish her. He did send her an annoyed look, however, to show his distaste in the nickname. The young woman before him was short in stature, with a modest aura about her. Her dark hair was pulled up into a neat bun, and she smiled warmly. Hinamori Momo oozed kindness and peace.

"Hinamori, you're working here now?"

"Yes. I'm your new secretary, as Matsumoto-san stated earlier. I'll be working directly under you and have already started organizing your schedule and arranging appointments and meetings."

Hitsugaya simply nodded and spared a glanced at Rangiku, who was studying the exchange with interest. When she said nothing, Toshiro spoke up again.

"I have a note regarding an appointment or meeting soon. Do you know of the details yet?" He asked dryly. _He would get straight to business_, Rangiku thought wryly. Hinamori nodded and fidgeted with a few papers she held under her arm, skimming them briefly before finding the one she needed.

"Ah, yes! With a Mr. Tanaka, who scheduled a meeting with the department yesterday. The appointment should begin in about 15 minutes." She paused before continuing, "It appears he is the victim of apparant gang violence, and would like to share his information with the department. He specifically asked to meet with you."

"I see. If you don't mind, could you please organize the rest of my agenda for me? I haven't had a chance to do so today yet."

"Sure thing, Shiro-chan! I'll be done soon." She waved and ran off, only barely hearing the _"That's Hitsugaya-Taicho to you, now!"_ that Hitsugaya bellowed. He sighed and slid back unto his chair, massaging his temples.

Matsumoto Rangiku crossed her arms and wiggled her eyebrows. "_Shiro-chan_, eh?" She giggled. Hitsugaya Toshiro glared daggers at her as she regarded him with amusement.

"We're old friends," He stated, his voice betraying no emotion. "Go attend to your paperwork, Matsumoto. I know that there's a pile on your desk _somewhere."_

Rangiku simply shrugged and made her way out of the office, her retort sounding completely innocent and playful.

"Whatever you say, _Shiro-chan."_

"MATSUMOTO!!"

* * *

"I swear! There really WERE purple penguins swimming in my cereal this morning, really!"

The circle of friends, of _nakama_, simply continued to bite into their lunch as though their friend had said the most normal thing in the world. They listened to their lively companion spin a wild yarn with mild interest, a small smile gracing the lips of some. Inoue had that kind of power, sometimes. Soon enough they had all begun to chatter amongst themselves, their conversations breaking off into groups of 2 or 3.

Orihime, Keigo, Tatsuki and Mizuiro were engaged in lively conversation, while Ichigo, Sado and Uryuu began their own conversation. Taking a bite of his sandwhich, Ichigo began to speak, his voice muffled.

"Sho, I wash walkin' to da arcadsh.."

"Kurosaki, it's rude to talk while your mouth is full."

He swallowed and glared at Uryuu before continuing.

"...So, like I was saying. I was walking to the arcade when I notice some guys kicking some other poor guy's ass. He looked younger than me, and just lied there, taking it. I couldn't just sit and watch," he shrugged. "So I confronted them."

Both Sado's and Uryuu's eyes widened imperceptibly, but both regained their composure quickly. Sado was the first to speak.

"Ichigo, that's reckless."

"And stupid," Ishida added.

Ichigo scowled. "What the hell did you expect me to do? Let him get beat to death?" He glowered as his friends. When neither of them answered, except with an uncomfortable shifting, he continued.

"Anyways. So one of the guys, this teal-haired freak, basically ignored me and still tried to hurt the kid. That's when I kicked him and we started fighting."

His gaze faltered and lead him back to the young, blossoming girl on the other side of the long bench. He watched her rosy lips curl upward and erupt in laughter, her brilliant auburn hair flailing every which way as she laughed with all her heart and soul. There was nothing fake about her. Everything was real, sincere when it came to Inoue. He was about to smile when the memory of her from a couple days ago entered his mind. She was standing there, looking helpless with this tears glistening in her eyes as she watched him fight that asshole. His features darkened and he turned back to Sado and Uryuu. He decided to leave the part about Orihime out. No way was he going to let them know that he had put his girlfriend, and their dear friend, in danger.

"..Eventually someone pulled him back, and he left in some car. Not before he threatened me, though. Something about finding me and kicking my ass, or something or the other." Ichigo bit into his sandwhich again, small crumbs framing his lips as he looked entirely unbothered by the statement. There was silence as his friends regarded him.

"Kurosaki," Ishida said quietly, so as not to alarm their other friends. He sounded completely grave. "That's serious. What if this person is dangerous?"

"A thug?"

Ishida nodded. "Something like that, maybe. Eitherway, you better hope he doesn't find you again and make good on his threat. He could be a dangerous criminal."

Sado Yasutora merely nodded, agreeing entirely. Kurosaki Ichigo simply wiped the crumbs from his mouth with his thumb and yawned, taking a swig from his soda can.

"Like that'd happen."

* * *

_"Found you."_

The lithe form of a young woman was cast in shadow under the shade of a tree as she gripped her binoculars tightly, watching the young orange-haired man interacting with his friends. She watched as he seemed to get into a fight with a brown-haired man hovering over an exceptionally pretty girl, but she got the feeling it was all in good fun. She smirked and lowered her binoculars, her gaze landing on the man on the branch besides her. He was squinting, his long red hair pulled into a ponytail, trying to get a good look at the students at the campus. Or atleast their distance silhouettes. He couldn't see shit without the binoculars, he thought dryly.

"Jeagerjacques is having us look after some college punk? He's so fucking petty," he spat.

"Orders are orders, Renji. We have a week to spare."

Kuchiki Rukia squinted at the figures in the distance, and thought about the encounter she had had with her boss a few days prior.

_"I have a job for you..Newcomers." Grimmjow had said, a grin gracing his sharp features._

_He had lead them down the corridor, information and orders spilling forth from his mouth like a crazed waterfall, and the more he spoke the angrier he seemed to become. He spoke of a young man, Kurosaki Ichigo if she could remember correctly, who had dared defy him and fight him. The battle had stalemated briefly, and he had to leave before he could finish; So he had asked, no, DEMANDED that they find the man. Not just find him, but to dig and uncover as much information about Kurosaki as possible. He wanted family names, friend names, relationships, workplace, college name, address, the whole shebang. He gave them a week to pursue, befriend, and manipulate him into giving them the needed information. He had lead them to a Mr. Szayel Aporro, a computer genius who had quickly managed to find some basic information on Kurosaki Ichigo so that they could locate him. And that's how they ended up here._

Her lips curled downward in distaste. She didn't want to have to do this. After sharing a glance with her companion, Abarai Renji, they both nodded and jumped down from their respective branches, noiselessly landing on the soft grass. Rukia placed her binoculars in her tote bag, and strolled towards the bench she had been watching for the past few minutes.

When she had gotten close enough, she waved her arm towards the group in a friendly manner, smiling brightly. She walked up to Inoue Orihime casually, looking the epitome of friendliness.

"Ah, excuse me," Kuchiki spoke, her voice sickeningly sweet and so much different from her usual self. "I was wondering if you knew where --- ah! I recongize you!"

Her eyes brightened in fake surprise, and Inoue looked up at her, crumbs of food still sticking to her chin as she looked up at Rukia, utterly clueless and surprised at her sudden appearance. But she smiled brightly nonetheless as all their friends turned to look at the newcomers.

* * *

**Footer: **Ah! And the plot thickens! tune in next time~ I really really hope I can update a whole lot faster now :

Reviews are _adored_. They really help inspire me, so please let me know what you think! 10 cookies to anyone who does! :D


	5. Hearts, Criminals

**Author's Note:** *gets stoned to death* AAHH I'M SORRY I HAD JUST HAD SO MUCH GOING ON. And writing has never been a real hobby for me - Art is - but I like doing it every so often. So I find it more difficult than I thought to get this story out. I know, this story is like a year old and only 4 chapters. But I really don't want to forget about it again. I want to actually finish a project for once. From now on, I won't promise when I'll update - so wish me goodluck on a semi-regular schedule, ok? but like I said, no promises. DD;

Unfortunately I shan't be spoilering or clarifying bits of the story in the author's note (unless I write something stupidly confusing or something), because I feel that a story should be interpretated differently depending on the reader. I want you to be able to read it without having a pre-set mindset on what to expect, or what a certain chapter means.

So anywho. I hope you enjoy the story, I really do. c: I'm trying to bring a lot of character emotion and depth into it, with a lot of dimensions - it's not one track one mind at all.

oh and um. lots of cursing. I'm sorry! It's fun to write!

* * *

"Ah, excuse me, I was wondering if you knew where - ah! I recongize you!"

The sweet voice ripped Inoue Orihime's attention away from the very large loaf of bread she had been chewing on just seconds before, and prompted her to look up and into the twinkling purple irises of a girl she did not recongize in turn. She was silent for a moment as her mouth formed a small "o", and as she stared, Rukia could not help but be taken just a _little_ aback by her expression. The girl who spoke was of short stature, but gave off an air of tough elegance. Her raven-black hair just barely touched her shoulders, and curved outwards in the ends. A single large strand in front of her face cut through the right side of her forehead and landed tucked behind her left ear. She had large eyes and a small, mischevious mouth. Her petite figure did nothing to diminish her confidence, however.

"Um...ah, yes, I do! I believe we're in the same Psychology 101 class," The newcomer continued, her sweet voice faltering for just a moment. "My name is Kuchiki Rukia, nice to meet you." She smiled brightly and curtsied, causing a few eyebrows to raise; it was rather too formal for them, and a little bit strange. Kurosaki Ichigo gave Rukia a passing glance as he noticed the commotion on the other side of the bench, his curiousity piqued as he wondered what business she had with Orihime. He watched as Inoue's face split into a wide grin as she stood up, and curtsied with just as much, if not more, enthusiasm. Ichigo tsk'd and returned his attention back to his conversation with Sado and Uyruu.

His glance did not go unnoticed. As Orihime curtsied, Rukia used the break of eye contact to her advantage. She studied Ichigo, all the way from the top of his bright orange hair down to his large hands, which had all manner of tiny scars, callouses and angular muscles. All around he seemed to be a rough, unsociable punk, and she didn't like the look of him. He'd be difficult to decipher, let alone manipulate.

"A-Ah! Amazing! I'm so glad to meet a fellow classmate!" She began to clap excitedly. "I'm Inoue Orihime, nice to meet you, too! Oh! This is so exciting! I'm sure we will be very good friends!" Her eyes twinkled as she said this, and her fist pumped the air. "Yosh! We will be amazing friends! We can share Psychology notes and bring homework assignments to each other when we get sick and have study sessions together and build pencil-and-notebook forts to escape from the evil college teachers when they demand too much homework and when they retaliate we can start a college revolution and-"

There was a small yelp as a small but strong hand encircled Orihime's arm and pulled her down back into her seat, jolting her from her reverie and back to reality, her bum hitting the bench seat squarely with a soft _thud._

"Tatsuki-chan~! What was that fooor?" Orihime whined, looking at her best friend with a comically pained pout.

The girl in question ignored her, and looked at Rukia passively, her hands returning to the sandwhich in front of her. Her spiky black hair swayed in the wind as she spoke matter-of-factly: "Try not to be too surprised," she snorted. "Orihime gets..overly excited. It's normal." And with that, Tatsuki turned her attention away from Rukia and back to the food she had previously been chewing.

Rukia blinked but remained silent, staring at the strange group before her. Not entirely sure what to say next, she waited for a response. When Orihime realized there would be none, she quickly rose again and scolded her friends. "Be nice!" she said sweetly, but firmly.

She turned once again to the bewildered girl next to her. "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san," she said politely. "I'm sure they are just tired from a hard day of college!" Rukia decided not to mention the fact that the school day was only half-way over, so far. Orihime then took it upon herself to point at each of her friends, and introduce them to her. "This is Arisawa Tatsuki, Asano Keigo, and Kojima Mizuiro." They all waved back to her, and then Orihime pointed to the far side of the bench, at each of the other three. "And that's Yasutora Sado, Ishida Uryuu, and..." There was a slight pause, and Orihime's cheeks blushed a light pink and her smile became just a bit brighter. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

Rukia smirked. They must be a couple. It's too obvious. Rukia suddenly felt quite proud of the fact that within seconds, she had already uncovered one of his key relationships. She had to resist teasing him about it; he seemed like the kind who would not take such teasing lightly. At the mention of his name, the young man in question turned his head to look at her again, taking another sip of his soda. He looked like he was about to say something -

_THUD._

Soda spewed forth from Ichigo's mouth and nose as something heavy collided with the back of his head, sending the brown liquid spraying forth and unto an unsuspecting bespectacled young man. Ishida cursed and wiped the spittle from his glasses and arms with a white hankerchief he carried in his back pocket, fuming at such stupidity and threatening to knock Ichigo's lights out. Instead Uryuu dug out a stark white, new button-up from his backpack and unbuttoned the sullied shirt. Still spewing insults, he carefully slid out of the old shirt and into the new one. No one within their circle questioned the fact that he had been carrying a spare shirt in his backpack for who knows how long now.

As Ichigo frantically wiped his nose and mouth with a napkin, anger boiling up in him and turning his ears and neck passionately red, he saw another man walk past him and sling a heavy-looking backpack over his shoulder. When the man reached a spot right next to Rukia, he turned around and faced the group of friends straight-on.

The man was just as tall as Ichigo, and his flaming red hair was also just about the same shade as Ichigo's anger-riddled face. His hair was pulled into a ponytail, but that did not stop it from spiking outwards like a crazy, blood-red fountain. He had an angular, chiseled face and seemed extremely fit and strong. But his most striking feature were the black angular attoos that lined his arms and eyebrows. He looked at Ichigo, who seethed in rage, with an unapolegetic impassiveness.

"Yo."

And this was all that was needed to set Ichigo off.

Ichigo stood up so fast, it nearly knocked everyone off of their seats.

" 'Yo' ?" Ichigo seethed. "You don't just go around hitting people with your oversized fucking backpack and then going 'yo' like some oblivious asshole! I should fucking punch you in the face for that!" He clenched his hands together and felt tempted, but his promise to Orihime lay in the back of his mind, and he did not move forward.

Now it was Renji's turn to become angry.

"What did you say, you carrot-top bastard?"

"You heard me, asshole!"

"I'll teach you a fucking lesson about respecting others-"

"Are you _serious?_ I'm going to-"

By now the two had surged forward and butted heads, red anger boiling in their veins and seconds away from an all-out brawl. Rukia was holding back Renji's upraised fist, and Ichigo's friends were holding him back likewise. The two continued to throw insults at eachother, until Rukia piped up cheerfully.

"This is Abarai Renji. He is a bit of a violent monkey, so please do not provoke him." In spite of her polite speech, the moment Renji's eyes met hers, her eyes had taken on a threatening darkness into them. They had _I will kill you_ written all over them. Finally, he grunted and pulled back.

"Just tell Strawberry over here to lay the fuck off."

"WHAT -"

By now Orihime had intervened, and gotten Ichigo to back off as well. In panic, she stared at her watch. "Ah...it's time to go back to class! It was very nice to meet you, Kuchiki-san, Abarai-san!"

Before either could get a word in edgewise, Orihime had taken off, nearly dragging Ichigo along with her.

* * *

On the way to class, Ichigo was still steaming. He huffed and puffed and would not let the matter alone, constantly berating the red-head, and even the raven-haired girl who didn't seem like much better. Orihime didn't say anything and she listened, her soft arms encircling his and holding on to him sweetly. Her sweet touch calmed him down considerably, and he just let out an exasperated sigh, his rant finished.

Orihime rested her head against his arm, her auburn-hair flying about her hair in tousled beauty. She looked up at him and smiled, speaking softly. "Ne, Ichigo...I don't think they seem so bad. In fact, I think that they seem really nice..you just need to give them a chance, okay?"

He looked into her gray, hopeful eyes. She was so naive...but so kind.

"And how do you know, Miss Intuition?" He couldn't help but smile as her face lit up at the name.

"Exactly! Because I have Women's Intuition! I can know everything about a person just from a single gaze! Everything I need to know about them, like their food preferences and powerlevels, provided in a single glance!" She looked victorious and proud, like she really did have such a power. "but most importantly, I know when someone has a good heart!" she nodded vigorously.

"If you say so." He patted her head as though she were an overly-excited child, and stopped next to his classroom door. "Now, get to class, you'll be late!"

She nodded, waved him goodbye, and ran off in another direction. Ichigo shook his head and fixed himself and his bag up properly, and strode into class. This particular class was not particularly small or large - it just was. An older man - well into his sixties, probably - stood at the very front, already beginning his lecture on English Literature. Ichigo settled into a seat in the middle of the classroom, dug through his belongings, and pulled out the textbook he'd need for this particular class. As he leaned his elbow on the desk, his cheek resting on its hand, he flipped through the pages as he half-heartedly listened to the lecture.

The lecture went on and on, and Ichigo almost felt like he was going to fall asleep. He'd snagged himself a particularly boring teacher, which he was going to have to deal with for the rest of the semester. There was nothing of note except for one small thing - she was in his class.

That girl from earlier, with the raven hair, sat only two seats to his immediate upper right. What was her name again? Kuch...uku? Kuchiku? Kuchiki Rukia, that was it. He didn't particularly care, and would of left it at that, if it weren't for the fact that she kept looking at him. He wasn't sure if he just imagined it or not, but he could swear that she was constantly looking at him from the corner of those huge eyes. It was bothering him a bit, but he tried to ignore her - after all, it might not be him that she was looking at, anyway. He grunted and tried his best to just listen to the lecture and _not _fail this class.

After a grueling two hours, class was dismissed. Kurosaki Ichigo sat up and snapped his shoulders and neck in an attempt to work out the kinks in his muscles from sitting for so damn long. Running a hand through his hair, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the classroom and into the corridor - an action made easier by his long legs and long strides.

It took only a moment to realize that he was being followed. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Kuchiki girl walking a few feet away, her small legs trying to gain enough speed to catch up to him. Knowing this, he didn't let up - he wasn't in the mood to speak to her or her red-haired monkey of what he assumed to be her boyfriend. He simply grunted when she picked up speed and stood next to him, walking side-by-side and trying to match his stride.

"Geez, Speedy Gonzalez, aren't you?" She quipped, her sweet voice transformed into a much more serious, deeper tone. This made Ichigo's eyesbrows arc, but he said nothing.

"Hn."

"What did you think of the lecture?" She asked. "I thought it was boring as hell, and I was afraid the old man was gonna croak of a heart attack in the middle of it." She said crudely, but matter-of-factly.

"Uh-huh."

"I mean," she laughed. "He had to be like 80 years old, right? No wonder he's so good at this Old English stuff."

"..."

Rukia furrowed her brows. This was harder than she thought it was gonna be. She had always been pretty good at small talk and acting the part, but Jesus, talking to this guy was like talking to a wall. But she had to at least keep trying.

"So, what's your next class-"

"Look," he said roughly, catching her offguard. "I don't know you, stop trying to make small talk. I'm no good at that kind of stuff." He looked at her sternly, his jaw set into a scowl and his eyes harsh, but honest. And with that, he turned on his heel and walked briskly away, disappearing into a rainbow sea of college students. Rukia stopped walking and looked after him, feeling both a little offended...but also, just a tiny bit excited, her heart beating just a bit faster at the encounter.

Rukia Kuchiki brought a hand to her chin and contemplated her situation. She had just a week, and it was going to take a long ass time to break into this particular circle of friends via Kurosaki. Time she didn't have. She thought long and hard, and suddenly remembered that smiling caramel-haired girl from earlier this morning, the airhead, and had an idea. She'd penetrate Kurosaki from a different angle - through Inoue Orihime. His girlfriend. His second heart, she supposed. Kuchiki Rukia slammed her fist into her other palm. Brilliant! It was obvious that the girl was naive and trusting, and would easily give her access to everything she needed. She felt bad for having to use such a sweet girl like this, but it was necessary.

And so determined, Rukia decided that Day One was complete, and left.

* * *

Meanwhile, Orihime practically _burst_ out of the campus doors.

"Ah, free at last~!" She chirped, her arms outstretched. She spun herself around and around like a carefree ballerina, her bright eyes gazing over a perfectly blue sky. Behind her, a pale young man exited the doorway likewise, but in a much more calm fashion. His slim digits slowly righted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and he regarded the energetic girl warily.

"Inoue, college ends at the same time, every day." He said matter-of-factly.

"I know," she pouted. "But it feels like we've been in there for a million years sometimes ! A million billion years in a dark, dingy dungeon filled only with textbooks and loose-leaf paper!" The look of comical horror on her face made Ishida Uryuu smile in spite of himself.

"I thought you liked class?"

"I do! But..."

The two of them walked together, side by side, as they followed the dirt pathway to the end of the campus. Inoue chattered incessantly about this or that, but Ishida didn't mind at all. In fact, he rather liked listening to her speak. It was a welcome change from the silence that greeted him at home every day.

"Inoue-san, would you like me to walk you home? Apparantly Kurosaki has a Kendo meeting, and Tatsuki likewise has Karate practice."

"O-Oh! Right! That's why Ichigo never came! I waited in the hallway for like half an hour!" She nodded in comprehension, and Ishida Uyruu gave her a bewildered look. He could swear that Kurosaki mentioned that he had sent her like 10 texts about such to "make sure she didn't forget."

As they walked, they passed a group of three older looking guys, who overheard Orihime's extremely lively explanation for her forgetfulness - she claimed that tiny watermelon people inhabited her brain sometimes and erased her memory when she wasn't looking. All this she described in massive detail while gesturing wildly. Uryuu heard loud snorting and laughing coming from behind him, and he turned his head to look at the offending men.

Orihime was oblivious to the fact that the three guys were laughing loudly at her, mimicking her gestures and circling their fingers around their heads in a "she's fucking crazy" motion. Normally Ishida would of just ignored them, but what he heard made him narrow his eyes in anger.

"Bitch's crazy. Fucking wild, man."

"I know. I've seen her before, always tripping everywhere and making a scene. She doesn't know her ass from her elbow."

"Whatever man. Look at that rack, man, I'd tap that. Over and over." This elicited a roaring laugh and a slew of agreements.

"Sucks that she's stupid as hell, though."

"What are you talking about? those are the best ones!"

Ishida Uryuu couldn't take it anymore. He would _not_ let them insult and step all over Orihime like that, as if they knew her. He would not let them sully her reputation and image with her dirty, disgusting looks and insults. Orihime's panicked "Ishida-kun?" didn't stop him as he walked straight over to the ringleader of the trio.

"Shut the hell up," he said calmly. "You wish you were a _third _as intelligent as she is."

"Huh? Got something to say, you fucking nerd?" The man yelled at him, easily a foot taller that Uryuu. But Uryuu stood his ground calmly and looked him straight in the eye.

"I said, shut the hell up."

The older boy just laughed and shoved Ishida away forcefully, causing a stinging in Ishida's chest and for him to have to take a step back; but he did not flinch. Orihime, fearing a brawl, tried to get inbetween Uryuu and the boy.

"Please don't fight-"

"Get the hell out, no one's talking to you!" The older boy placed his rough hands on her chest and shoved her away with enough force to fling her backwards and onto the floor with a sharp yelp, scraping her skin against the dirt.

The instant his hands were on her, Ishida's eyes widened and a terrible anger flitted across his face. Before the boy could react, Ishida's fist spiraled upwards and into the man's jaw with a sickening crunch. He was flung backwards - just as he had done to Inoue - and landed on his butt with a loud plop. His friends blinked and stared, and could not help but roar in laughter at their friends predicament, insulting him with the fact that he just got sucker-punched by a 'nerd' like Ishida.

Enraged, the boy stood up and was just about ready to retaliate when a huge shadow came over them both. Looking up, his eyes met with dark brown eyes of a silent giant. Sado Yasutora said nothing, but his expression was serious and even a little dark. His dark eyes spoke volumes: _do not move. _they said.

"S-shit...let's get out of here, guys." The boy trembled, a hand trying to set his aching jaw. Trying to retain some dignity, he turned around and walked away without another word, his laughing lackeys in tow.

The confrontation over, Ishida immediately went to Orihime's aid, who by now had stood up and was dusting off her skirt.

"Inoue-san, are you okay?" Chad was also looking over his shoulder to make sure she was fine.

"Y-yep! I'm just fine!" She smiled weakly. Ishida noticed the back of her thighs were a little scraped, but overall, she was okay. "Now, let's go home, okay? Sado-kun, would you like to come with us, too?"

Sado nodded and joined the two in their walk home.

* * *

Some twenty minutes later, Ishida and Orihime found themselves standing infront of her little apartment complex. The wind picked up a little, and their dark-and-auburn hair respectively swayed in the chilly breeze.

"Brr! It's only September and it's already getting a little cold!"

Ishida Uryuu only nodded. Sado had left them at an earlier intersection to follow his own route home, and so the two were alone. Ishida Uryuu watched quietly as Orihime Inoue ascended the stairs, her dark pink scarf flailing this way and that in the wind. Suddenly she stopped walking, only halfway up the stairs, and turned around to face Uryuu. He looked up at her in mild surprise and quietly awaited whatever she had to say.

"Ah, Ishida-kun ... thankyou for trying to help me, really," She said softly. "I'm so glad that you are so kind. But please...try not to get into any trouble, okay? Try not to fight...especially over silly me. I don't want you to get hurt." Her eyes seemed almost a too big, a little too watery now..and it sent a small pang hurtling through his heart. The look of concern on her face was enough to make any man bend over backwards to appease her again. Uryruu's expression softened and he looked at her, sincerity in his eyes.

"I'll...I'll try, Inoue-san. Please get home now, it's getting cold."

She brightened at this and nodded, thanking him for walking her home and wishing him a safe trip home. Waving him goodbye, she finished her ascent up the staires, opened her apartment door, and disappeared inside it, leaving a solemn Ishida alone on the sidewalk to stare at her door for a few moments.

_I'm sorry, Inoue. I won't let anyone hurt you. No matter what._ He thought, his heart tripping over itself just a bit.

And like he always did, he walked home alone in the autumn breeze.

* * *

_Shit shit shit shit._

He put his hands to his face and closed his eyes, trembling. But the rough contact caused his skin to protest, bruises in the process of healing disturbed by the pressure of his fingertips. But he paid it no mind; right now, there were more important things to consider.

_I'm sorry, dad. But I gotta do this._

He swallowed painfully and inhaled, the air expanding his chest and sending a small wave of calm over his body. As he exhaled, he heard a door to his immediate right creak open, the noise of footsteps trailing behind the doorway.

The boy exhaled and opened his eyes to look at the person who just entered, trying to set his expression to that of determination. The sheer stark white, blank walls of the room could almost swallow him up; there was no decoration, and the furniture was sparse. He sat on a sturdy but old wooden chair, his hands nervously tapping an equally sturdy and wooden table. There was nothing on the table save a few thin manilla folders.

He watched the man - boy? - walk into the room quickly and slide a chair out from under the table, promptly sitting on it as soon as it was released. The boy - man? - then righted the chair, and began to flip through the manilla folders, scanning its contents for notes on this particular meeting. His expression held no emotion and he looked rather serious as he scanned the notes, his solemn expression looked almost comical on such a boyish face. The short man then closed the folder with a final plop, and set his deadening gaze on the browned-haired boy before him.

" Mr. Tanaka, I presume."

"uh...Yes. Um, Daisuke, if you will."

He simply nodded, but his gaze did not falter, and the boy felt slightly intimidated in spite of the officer's small stature.

"Tanaka Daisuke," He said sternly. "What brings you here, precisely?"

"I...I wanted to file a criminal charge, and um, bring you some information...and ask for your help."

Hitsugaya said nothing, and waited for the man to continue. The boy cleared his throat, running his hand through his brunette hair.

"As you can see, I got beat up pretty bad," he laughed self-deprecatively. "But not because I got into a random fight with a random guy. You see...my father, he runs in some bad crowds. And he has an awful gambling habit...it's been..uh..brought my attention that he owes someone quite a lot of money." His eyes were now staring at the table, rather than at the Captain. "And not just anyone...someone powerful. I don't know who he is but...he's been threatening us for a few weeks now. First it was just a few letters that I found in my dad's room, asking for the money real politely. But my dad can't afford it...and I think he's scared, cuz I don't think he responded to the letters. After a while things started to get worse...the letters got angrier, and more threatening." He pulled out a number of folded messages from his back pocket, some older and crumpled and others looking brand new. He looked distressed as he watched Hitsugaya read the letters individually, before placing them in one of the manilla folders as evidence. "He writes so politely, technically speaking...but it's so awful, what he says...First he threatened to take what was rightfully his, and stuff started to go missing suddenly...even our car. Then he threatened my father's life, and when my dad didn't respond to that, he started threatening us...his kids. He said he'd kill me, and sell my sister into prostitution." He looked at Hitsugaya pleadingly, his eyes watering. "...my sis is only 14, for god's sake."

To the untrained eye, one might've thought that Hitsugaya was cold as ice; he didn't flinch, and his expression hardly changed. But if you looked closely, there was a tightening of his lips...a slight twitch of the jaw, that betrayed his composure.

"I don't know who this man is...but yesterday, he sent some of his guys to come find me, and beat me senseless, as a warning, I guess. I'm scared...I'm afraid the next time he sees either me or my father, he's gonna kill us. There's only so many other ways to threaten us, isn't there...? Please, help me..."

Hitsugaya shifted, and looking the boy straight in the eye.

"I will. Tell me what the man looked like..the one who beat you."

The boy's eyes seem to cloud over as he remembered the incident. He remained silent for a few long seconds, and then he massaged his knuckles soothingly.

"He was...unique. He was tall, buff, and had this crazy..blueish hair. Like..teal, spiked up and styled and everything. He had green eyes and wore this crazy green eyeshadow around the edges of his eyes...I dunno, it could of been a tattoo," he shrugged.

Hitsugaya visibly stiffened as silence enveloped the room. That description only matched one other person on file, but he needed to confirm. After flipping through the various folders, he pulled out what seemed to be photograph and slid it across the table.

"Is this the man?"

Daisuke stared at the photo, his heart rate accelerating at the visual impact of his attacker. The photograph was a mugshot of a man, both sideways and up front, holding up a numbered bar. The man had a feral grin and glinting green eyes, a long tongue slipping out to lick his canine teeth. The wild look of the man told him immediately that, indeed, that was him.

"Y-Yes...that's him," he muttered under his breath. Hitsugaya nodded, retreived the folder, and placed it back into the envelope.

"...oh, and another thing...I think someone else might need help, too," he said quietly.

This piqued Hitsugaya's interest, and he stared at Daisuke until the boy continued.

"A guy...kind of came to my rescue," he smiled weakly. "He saw what was happening and confronted that teal-haired guy. They got into a fight, and the guy was pretty good at fending off that teal-haired guy. They would of gotten serious, but one of blue-haired guys buddies told him they had to go. But the thug was all like, "I'm gonna find you and kick your ass," and left. So I think you should look into that, too," he nodded. "When I went home, and thought about it, I recognized the guy. He was an old classmate of mine from highschool...his name was Kurosaki Ichigo."

The whole interview took about an hour. Hitsugaya was always very thorough, and he made sure that he sucked every last bit of information out of the boy before he sent him off to get his injuries photographed and given the help needed to file a charge.

Hitsugaya sighed as he left the stark white room and walked across the hall and into his office, closing the door behind him. He slid casually into his thick leather chair, looking tired and annoyed for all his hardwork. He leaned his head back into the leather, and contemplated the situation. He hated this part of the job...telling everyone that everything was going to be OK, and assuring them that their charges _will_ be charged and the criminals _will_ go to jail and justice _will_ be served. But sometimes...it just didn't happen that way.

Hitsugaya groaned. There was also the matter of the other young man involved in this case...making it all the more complicated. Not only do they have to worry about assault and harrassment charges against a man who was notorious for being completely elusive, and who had a slew of other much more violent and terrible crimes credited to him, but he worked for even more awful man. A man who considered himself above the law, and really, above all reason and humanity.

And now, he had to deal a brave but hotheaded kid who just got himself into a ton of hot water. If worst comes to worst, this cause could go from assault to murder. And he was not looking forward to finding out which way it was going to go.

* * *

**Footer:** Heehee, I hope you enjoyed this longer-than-usual chapter. Reviews are adored, and if you're just joining us, I love it when I get reviews for each individual chapter! Tell me what you like, dislike, what you think is going on, what's gonna happen, etc! whatever you'd like 8D


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